Import & Export

Export

Go to Settings → Data to access export options. Exports always include all bins in the currently active location.

JSON Export

Downloads a structured JSON file (openbin-backup-YYYY-MM-DD.json) containing:

• All bins (name, items with quantities, tags, notes, icon, color, card style, short code, area, visibility, custom field values, timestamps)
• Tag color assignments for the location
• Photos embedded as base64 strings inside each bin's data

JSON is the recommended format for full-fidelity backups. It preserves all metadata and photos.

ZIP Export

Downloads a ZIP archive (openbin-export-YYYY-MM-DD.zip) containing:

• A JSON file with all bin data
• Original photo files in their native format (JPEG, PNG, etc.)

ZIP is preferable when you want to preserve original photo quality without base64 encoding overhead.

CSV Export

Downloads a spreadsheet-compatible CSV file (openbin-bins-YYYY-MM-DD.csv) with one row per item:

• Bin name, area, item name, quantity, tags (semicolon-separated), notes

CSV does not include photos or card style settings. Use it when you need to open your inventory in a spreadsheet application.

Import

Go to Settings → Data → Import and drag-and-drop a file or click to select one.

Supported Import Formats

V2 JSON (current format)

Full-fidelity import. Restores:

• Bin name, items (with quantities), tags, notes, icon, color, card style, visibility, custom field values
• Tag color assignments
• Photos (re-attached from embedded base64 data)
• Short codes are re-generated to avoid conflicts with existing bins

V1 JSON (legacy format)

The older export format used freeform contents strings instead of discrete items. When importing V1:

• The contents field is imported as the bin's notes.
• Tags and timestamps are preserved.

ZIP

Import a ZIP file exported from OpenBin. The importer reads the JSON inside the ZIP and re-attaches the bundled photos.

Import Preview

Before any import runs, OpenBin shows a preview of what will happen. The preview lists how many bins, items, and photos will be created, and flags any bins that will be skipped (for example, duplicates that already exist in the location). You can review this summary and confirm or cancel before the actual import executes.

The preview is generated for all three import formats (JSON, CSV, and ZIP).

Import Behavior

• Import creates new bins — it does not overwrite or merge with existing bins.
• Bins are imported into the currently active location.
• Short codes are re-generated for all imported bins.
• If a photo fails to import (e.g. unsupported format or size limit exceeded), the bin is still imported without that photo and the failure is reported in the results summary.

File Size Limit

The maximum import file size is 50 MB. For larger collections, split the export into multiple files.

TIP

Always export a backup before importing. Imports cannot be bulk-undone — you would need to manually delete the imported bins or use bulk delete.